Chinese man to be sentenced in marriage fraud

WORCESTER — One of the men involved in a marriage scheme to fraudulently obtain green cards to remain in the country is scheduled to be sentenced Friday in federal court.

Hai Tao Mo, 42, with an address listed of New York, N.Y., was found guilty by a U.S. District Court jury in November of fraud and misuse of immigration visas. The maximum penalty is 10 years in prison.

Mr. Mo was married to Melissa Ann Lewis, a 44-year-old former Worcester woman who has admitted to marrying three men in the scheme. She received money in exchange for agreeing to the sham marriages, and was sentenced to 2 years of probation last month in federal court.

City marriage records show Mr. Mo was married to Ms. Lewis in July 2006, one of three marriages she entered into that year.

A federal prosecutor said there were no courtships before the marriages and no intention before or after the weddings for the couples to live together as husband and wife. Photographs of the couples were taken in each case, and documents such as insurance policies were used to conduct the ruse, authorities allege.

The marriages allowed the men to evade immigration laws, receive green cards and stay in the United States.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Kanwit said Ms. Lewis and three foreigners took out marriage licenses in three communities — Pawtucket, R.I., Worcester and Southbridge, on Jan. 20, July 6, and Oct. 2, respectively, all in 2006.

Ms. Lewis was a witness in the cases against the three men she married: Mr. Mo, a native of China; George Kwame Asante, a Ghanaian; and Stephen Nganga Mbira, a Kenyan. All three men were charged with fraud and misuse of visas. Mr. Mbira was later found not guilty by a jury. Mr. Asante pleaded guilty and is to be sentenced Feb. 14.

Ms. Lewis has a history of drug use and it influenced her decisions during the time of the arranged marriages, she admitted in court. The amount of money she received for her involvement has not been detailed in court or in records.